Tilting-Rotor Drone Flight Control for Stable Camera Orientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multi-rotor drones, such as quad-rotors, face limitations in controlling attitude and acceleration independently due to their under-actuated nature, leading to challenges in maintaining a stable camera orientation during maneuvers and increasing the complexity and weight of separate stabilization devices.
Innovation Solution
A drone design with multiple degree of freedom (DOF) flight mode, featuring a fuselage with rotors aligned along the z-axis and tilting mechanisms along the x and y-axes, allowing for independent control of rotor speeds and tilting, enabling various flight modes without the need for additional stabilization devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a separate stabilization device is installed to maintain camera orientation during maneuvers, then camera stability is improved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the stabilization function directly into the drone's flight control system by coordinating rotor speeds and tilting mechanisms. Instead of adding a separate stabilization device, the system merges the stabilization capability with the existing multi-rotor configuration and control architecture, allowing the camera to maintain orientation through controlled attitude changes of the entire drone body.
Solution Approach 2:
The flight control system is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: propulsion, attitude control, and camera stabilization. By making the flight control system universal, it can achieve camera stabilization through coordinated control of multiple rotors and tilting mechanisms without requiring dedicated stabilization hardware, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining stability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a separate stabilization device is installed to maintain camera orientation during maneuvers, then camera stability is improved, but weight increases and battery life decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilization function is merged into the existing flight control system, eliminating the need for additional stabilization hardware. This integration avoids the weight penalty associated with separate stabilization devices while achieving the same camera stability through coordinated control of the multi-rotor system's attitude and rotor speeds.
3Speed
If the drone body is inclined to accelerate forward, then forward acceleration is achieved, but camera direction becomes misaligned with the target
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control functions by independently managing body attitude control and camera orientation control. The drone body can be inclined for acceleration while the camera platform maintains its orientation through separate control of the tilting mechanisms and rotor speeds, allowing forward acceleration and camera direction control to be decoupled and managed independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts rotor speeds and tilting mechanism angles in real-time to maintain camera alignment with the target during maneuvers. By continuously adapting the control parameters, the system enables forward acceleration through body inclination while simultaneously compensating for attitude changes to keep the camera pointed at the target.
4Reliability
If multiple separate devices are installed for camera stabilization and dust protection, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple protective and stabilizing functions into the integrated flight control system. By coordinating rotor speed control and tilting mechanisms, the system achieves camera stabilization without requiring separate stabilization devices. The streamlined design reduces device complexity while maintaining reliability through sophisticated control algorithms that manage the multi-rotor system's dynamics.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design allows for stable and versatile flight operations with reduced vibration, enabling accurate camera direction and extended battery life by eliminating the need for separate stabilization systems, while maintaining a lightweight and simple mechanical structure.
Implementation Method 1
a first rotor and a second rotor each having its rotational axis aligned in a z-axis direction, and disposed to face each other about the fuselage at a first position when viewed in an x-axis direction; a third rotor and a fourth rotor each having its rotational axis aligned in the z-axis direction and disposed to face each other in a y-axis direction
Implementation Method 2
a first frame shaft rotatably supported with respect to the fuselage about a y1-axis parallel to the y-axis at the first position and supporting the first rotor and the second rotor by respective support shafts parallel to the x-axis; a third frame shaft disposed to be spaced apart from the first frame shaft in the z-axis direction and formed to tilt the first rotor and the second rotor about each axis parallel to the x-axis
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a drone with a multiple DOF flight mode according to the present invention. The drone may include: a fuselage in which a battery is mounted and a forward direction is set in an x-axis; a plurality of rotors disposed around the fuselage in four or more, each rotational axis of which is aligned in a z-axis direction; an x-axis tilting mechanism unit formed to tilt the plurality of rotors about an axis parallel to the x-axis; a y-axis tilting mechanism unit formed to tilt the plurality of rotors about an axis parallel to the y-axis; a first drive motor unit driving the y-axis tilting mechanism unit; a second drive motor unit guiding the x-axis tilting mechanism unit; and a control unit configured to implement a plurality of flight modes by controlling the first rotor, the second rotor, the third rotor, the fourth rotor, the first drive motor unit, and the second drive motor unit.